Ball Games
by waterbaby134
Summary: The big police ball is coming up. Matt knows exactly who he wants to ask but working up the nerve is a whole new ball game. Matt/Jen
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. If i did, Jen would've said yes when Matt asked her out. City Homicide and all related characters etc belong to Channel 7

Matt grimaced as he passed by a flyer advertising the upcoming Police Ball. Usually he avoided it at all costs. Being forced to socialise with people from work he did not particularly like was not his idea of a good time. Unfortunately, this year he had no choice.

Senior Sergeant Wolfe was going to receive a commendation in recognition of 25 years on the force; so his squad had agreed that they should be there to honour their boss's achievements. It was with the greatest reluctance that Matt had accepted this plan and as a result, he had spent the last half-hour brainstorming various avoidance techniques. So far, he had come up with nothing better then a bout of faked food poisoning or a 'family emergency.'

Grumpily, he stalked across the office to his desk. "Good morning sunshine," came Simon's annoyingly jovial voice from his own desk. Matt simply grunted in response. "Geez, what's got your panties in a pinch?" Simon asked indignantly. Matt ignored him.

For the first time ever, he looked upon a large pile of paperwork on his desk with relief. With luck, he could bury himself in it all day, and keep his mind off the stupid ball. Luck however, did not seem to be on his side today. "So Matty, the big ball next week. Who are you bringing?" asked Duncan, smirking. Matt's hatred of the event was well known among his colleagues and they could never resist sticking the boot in, just a little bit.

Matt sighed, not seeing a polite way to get out of this conversation. "Haven't asked anyone," he admitted sourly. "Well you'd better get a move on, mate or you'll be going stag…again." Matt scowled. "You'll be taking Claire, then?" he asked, changing the subject. Duncan nodded. "She's been dress shopping for weeks; with _my_ credit card." That got a laugh out of Matt, and Simon who had been listening.

"How about you Si?" Duncan asked, once the other two had finished snickering at his misfortune. "Who's the lucky lady this week?" Simon grinned. "I should be receiving a call in regards to that, right about…now." Right on cue, his mobile rang. Matt and Duncan rolled their eyes as he pressed the answer button. "Amy, honey," he purred into the phone. "How are you?"

The others ignored him as he chattered away for several minutes. Shutting the phone with a snap, he turned back around to face them, positively glowing with self-satisfaction. "I'm all set," he informed them smugly. "Oh yeah? And how much are you paying this one?" Duncan quipped, causing Matt to chuckle and the smile to be wiped off Simon's face.

"At least I've got a date," he said, some minutes later. "Which is more then can be said for our dear Matthew over there." Matt preserved what he hoped was a dignified silence, refusing to rise to the bait. "Seriously Matt, there's got to be someone you like enough to ask," Duncan chipped in. "Trust me, there isn't," he responded shortly. " Well, maybe Simon can spare you one or two of his girls for the evening." Duncan suggested slyly. He was rewarded with a glare from both Matt and Simon, and the latter proceeded to unleash a stream of insults on his friend.

Under cover of the argument, Matt was able to retreat back into his paperwork and his thoughts. He had lied through his teeth to Duncan just then. There was in fact somebody who he would like to ask, somebody who was never very far from his thoughts these days, somebody whom, as luck would have it, had just walked in the door.

Jennifer emerged from the lift, carrying a tray of coffee. She raised an eyebrow slightly at the sight of Simon and Duncan bellowing at each other, both red in the face, but otherwise gave no sign that she had noticed them. Instead, she walked right past them, over to Matt's desk. "Morning," she smiled as she reached him. "How long have the children been fighting like that?" she asked him, handing him his coffee. "A while," he said disinterestedly, taking a sip. "Thanks." He flashed her his best smile. She looked over her shoulder at the other two, and sighed. "I'd better go break it up."

She walked right up to them and placed herself in between them. "Ahem!" She cleared her throat loudly. Both men were cut off in mid-shout as they turned guiltily around to face her. "Morning Jen," said Simon sycophantically, attempting a charming smile. Her stern expression was unchanged and he soon gave up on the idea.

She held up the coffee tray. "Now I have two good cups of coffee right here and as far as I know, it's bad to give caffeine to children under five." The men looked ashamed of themselves. "Now grow up, apologise, and act like the two grown men you claim to be," she ordered.

Matt burst out laughing as Simon and Duncan meekly obeyed, then retreated sheepishly to their desks. "Jen, you're going to make a great mother someday," he told her as she finally sat down. "Well if it ever does happen I'll have had plenty of practice with those two," she said. Her tone was light but Matt knew that there was pain behind the joke. He knew that she wanted to be a mother more than anything.

They fell into a comfortable silence as she set to work on her own paperwork. Once he was sure that she was totally absorbed in her task, Matt glanced over at her surreptitiously. She was the kind of woman he had always seen himself marrying, beautiful, smart and fiery, but he knew she deserved a lot better then what he could offer her.

Still, he couldn't help thinking about how much more pleasant the dreaded ball would be with Jen on his arm. There was no harm in asking, right? The worst she could do was say no. He took a deep, calming breath. "Jen?" She looked up at him. As soon as her eyes connected with his, his courage failed him. "Can I borrow a pen?" he covered lamely. She handed him one. As she returned to her work, he fumed at his own gutlessness.

The rest of the morning passed without incident and one by one, the team headed off for lunch. Matt returned twenty minutes later to find Jen eating a sandwich and looking annoyed. "What's up?" he asked. "Oh you know that guy Paul, from the tech department?" she asked. "Well he just asked me to the ball." "What!" he exclaimed. "He's not even a cop!" "I know, but it's not that," she sighed. "How many times do I have to tell him no before he gets it?" "Don't be too hard on him, Jen," Matt said. "Any guy would have to be insane not to want to go out with you."

His eyes widened as he realized what he had just said. He didn't dare look at her and focused on opening his lunch. He almost didn't hear her quiet response. "Really?" He rubbed his temple and sighed. He'd already made an idiot of himself so he might as well finish the job. "Absolutely," he said.

She was silent for a moment. He once again screwed up all his courage and glanced over at her. He was pleased to see that she was smiling. "Thanks Matt." Somehow, the two words seemed to fill him with confidence. "I think I can fix your Paul problem, too," he said, before he could stop himself. "And how can you do that?" she asked. "Come with me instead," he blurted out, surprised at his own boldness.

It was the longest ten seconds that Matt had ever experienced, between his garbled offer and her response but finally she spoke. "I'd love to."

All of a sudden, the prospect of the ball didn't sound so bad after all. Intriguing possibilities that he had never allowed himself to consider before began presenting themselves to his thoughts. He let them play, making no attempt to stem the flow.

The rest of the day passed by in what felt like a matter of seconds. Luckily, there was no new case that day as Matt's mind was far more pleasantly occupied. At five o' clock sharp he bade a cheery goodbye to his colleagues, winked at Jen and all but danced out the door.

Duncan and Simon watched him go with matching expressions of amazement on their faces. "What's put him in such a good mood?" asked Simon. "Did someone slip something into his coffee?" Duncan simply shook his head, lost for words.

Jen smiled to herself. "Goodnight gentlemen," she said, walking out the door herself.

It was long after the doors slid closed behind her, that Simon and Duncan were finally able to pull themselves together and call it a day.

Out in the lobby, Matt happened to pass by Paul, the tech that he and Jen had been discussing earlier. "Detective Ryan," he said. "Is Detective Mapplethorpe still here?" Not even this could spoil Matt's good mood. "I think so," he said. Paul nodded and headed for the elevator. Matt called him back. "If you're going up there to ask her to the ball again, don't bother. She's going with someone else."

The man looked visibly crushed, so much so that Matt _almost_ felt sorry for him. "Well who's she going with then?" asked Paul.

Matt smiled his biggest smile all day. "With me."

**This was meant to be a one shot but I will post a second chapter if anyone's interested. Should you be inclined to review, it will be much appreciated. **


	2. Chapter 2Decisions

**Ball Games-Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: All I own is a copy of the official soundtrack. That's it. City Homicide and all related characters etc belong to Channel 7.**

Matt's buoyant mood persisted for the rest of the day, and well into the night. It was lucky that his dad was not home that evening, as he would surely have noticed his son's sudden and unexplained uplift in demeanour. Not being the kind of person who coped well with awkward questions, Matt appreciated the opportunity to get all the adolescent thoughts out of his system before facing his father or worse, his co-workers.

The next day at work he managed to explain away his odd behaviour, blaming it on a combination of too much coffee and too little sleep. Unfortunately, the lie turned out to be to his detriment. When Simon did the coffee run a little before lunchtime he came back with only three cups. "You're officially cut off, Matt," he said. "We can't have you dancing around the place like some of kind of space cadet. You're having enough trouble with the ladies as it is."

Ordinarily, Matt considered himself a patient man. He had almost always been able to keep his emotions in check and his cool head had helped him avoid countless confrontations in the past. Simon however, had always had the ability to break through Matt's calm, logical mindset, seeming to know exactly which buttons to press. More then once, Matt had found himself struggling to resist the overwhelming temptation to take a swing at his mate.

Today was one such day. Deprived of his mid-day caffeine and annoyed by the inaccuracy of Simon's remark, Matt could feel his temper starting to get the better of him. He almost wished that Stanley would come in with a new case so he could distract himself, thereby stopping himself from doing something he might regret. However, having personally experienced the pain of losing a loved one, he could never quite bring himself to wish it on anyone else.

He stood up, deciding to go the tearoom. Perhaps a cup of the watered-down radiator fluid that passed as coffee around here would tide him over until the afternoon. Before he could move though, Jen was standing in front of him holding out the cup that Simon had bought for her. "Here," she said. "Take mine. I think I'm more in the mood for tea today." "You sure?" he asked, surprised. She nodded and then spoke quietly so he had to lean in closer to hear her. "I can tell by the look on your face that you need this more than I do." He chuckled and took the cup from her. "Thanks Jen. I owe you one." She smiled, the cheeky, mysterious smile that he liked best. "I'll hold you to it."

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Simon's loud voice interrupted their hushed conversation. Matt took a large sip of his coffee to keep himself from responding angrily. "Something that has absolutely nothing to do with you, Simon," Jen answered coolly. "I know it's difficult to believe, but the whole world actually does not revolve around you."

Scowling, Simon returned to his work, shooting dirty glances every so often across the room at his two colleagues. "So," Jen continued, as if there had been no interruption. "You can make it up to me by buying me a drink after work tonight. What do you reckon?" "Deal," he said.

As she wandered away in the direction of the tearoom, Matt felt a sudden excitement, which quickly mingled with discomfort. The idea of spending time with Jen, just the two of them, was extremely appealing, but he knew that he was not supposed to feel this way about it. He knew that creating personal relationships with colleagues was considered to be both dangerous and unprofessional and was frowned upon by the police force. Despite this, he could not make himself feel guilty about asking her to the ball with him, or about spending time with her outside of work.

It had often been said that people could not help whom they fell for and Matt felt that he was a living testament to that concept. He had fallen all right, and fallen hard, for a woman whom was not only his co-worker but simply was just too good for him in every conceivable way.

He took another sip of coffee, trying to soothe his irritation. These feelings of inadequacy were new to him and he did not enjoy them at all. While his self-esteem had never reached the lofty proportions of some other people of his acquaintance, he had always felt reasonably confident in his own abilities, and proud of his achievements. Annoyingly, since she had entered his life, he had taken to second-guessing himself and trying his best to convince himself that she was out of his league. It was pathetic. It was cowardly. But it provided him with an ironclad excuse not to act on his feelings.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was on the phone, smiling slightly at whatever the other person had just said. At the same time, her hands were flying across her computer's keyboard, pulling a case file from the police network for whomever it was that she was speaking to. Pitifully, he found himself studying the way she pursed her lips in concentration and the way she would occasionally brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

He groaned in annoyance and forced his eyes away from these captivating sights onto the somewhat less interesting paperwork that awaited his attention. Allowing himself to get into this situation was unacceptable. Something had to be done. The most sensible, and obvious, solution would be to get a grip on himself and somehow get over this unhealthy attraction to his co-worker. But as his eyes involuntarily strayed over to her desk again, he accepted that this was probably far easier said than done. Working in such close proximity would make it difficult to separate himself from her both physically and emotionally. He also conceded that this plan required a degree of self-motivation he was not sure he possessed. Knowing that he _should _stop caring about her was not the same as _wanting _to.

It seemed to Matt that there was only one option. For the sake of his own sanity, he would ask her out. He knew that his conscience would give him no peace until he tried. If he ever was going to get over her, he needed to extinguish every last bit of hope that he had that by some miracle, his feelings were reciprocated.

At the ball next week, he would ask her. He knew he would only have one shot to get it right. Professionalism and ethics be damned, he had to know where he stood. In the unlikely event that she had feelings for him as well, next Saturday would make him the happiest he had ever been. If not, he could finally start on his journey back to a sane human being.

Either way, the ball was shaping up to be a night to remember. He rubbed his temples wearily. He'd always known there was a reason he avoided the goddamn thing like the plague. He would have to buy a new suit and tie, and make arrangements with Jen about where they would meet. He would need to take some money along with him as well. If this ludicrous plan of his were going to work he would need some liquid courage on the night, and lots of it. It occurred to him that it would also be prudent to organize some alternative transport home.

He sighed in frustration. He had forgotten how much effort was required to have the night run smoothly. He stole another glance at her desk. She was working now, twirling a pen absent-mindedly in her fingers. Seeming to sense his gaze, she looked up to meet his eye. She smiled at him and returned to her task.

He suddenly knew he had made the right choice. All this trouble and frustration would all be worth it on Saturday night. He was finally going to step up and take control of his life. And if things should end badly, he thought ruefully, he would make damn sure to get drunk enough so that he wouldn't remember it in the morning.

**Not my best work, I know. After a week of writer's block I finally managed to produce something. The third and final instalment of "Ball Games" will be posted as soon as I have finished writing it. As always, reviews are welcomed and greatly appreciated. Thanks. **


	3. The Ball Part I

**Ball Games-Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it. If I did, I wouldn't need to write fanfic about it. Everything belongs to Channel 7. **

The week seemed to pass too quickly and yet far too slowly at the same time. Busy with a new case, Matt was able to put aside his apprehension about the ball during the day, and focus on the job. When he wasn't working however, Matt often found his thoughts would turn to Saturday night, and from there, they would invariably drift onto thoughts of Jen. More than once, he had wished the ball were already over, if only to spare himself the mental torture.

For better or for worse, Saturday finally arrived. Dressed in a brand new suit and tie, Matt nervously paced back and forth across the living room, awaiting her arrival. He had offered to pick her up from her house, but the ever-practical Jen had pointed out that his place was far closer to the venue then her own. She had promised to be there by seven. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was now quarter to seven.

It so happened that Matt's father was home for the evening and he chuckled at the sight of his son looking as nervous as a teenager on a first date. He had met Jennifer a few times and had long suspected that Matt was battling with an attraction to his co-worker. After all, he had never brought any of his other colleagues home.

Five minutes and twenty-four laps of the living room later, the doorbell rang. Matt stopped pacing instantly. He took a deep breath, attempting to pull himself together. Whatever happened tonight, he would not lose his cool. He would be calm. Everything felt like it was in slow motion as he opened the door.

All ill feeling toward the ball disappeared immediately. In a black, floor-length evening gown, she looked stunning. Her hair was twisted elegantly up and away from her face and diamond earrings glimmered in her ears. "Jen…wow," he breathed. "You look amazing." She smiled. "Thanks. You don't scrub up too badly yourself." In truth, he had never seen her look so beautiful; 'amazing' was an understatement, but he couldn't seem to find a way to convey the thought into words.

"We should get going," she said. "We're going to be late." Matt forced his brain into gear. "Come in for a minute. I just need to grab my keys." She stepped into the foyer as he headed for the kitchen. He was just unhooking them from the holder when he heard his father's voice. "Detective Mapplethorpe, look at you. You're a knockout!" He heard her laugh. "I'll forgive that extreme exaggeration Mr Ryan, if you'll just call me Jennifer. Detective Mapplethorpe makes me feel like I'm at work."

Matt returned to the foyer to find them both chuckling quietly. "Son, haven't I taught you anything?" his father asked as Matt approached them. "You should never keep a lady waiting, especially when she looks as lovely as she does tonight. She may not still be there when you get back." Matt looked over at Jen apologetically, rolling his eyes. She grinned back. He took the sudden silence as opportunity to hustle her out the door, eager to be gone before his father could humiliate him further.

The half-hour journey to the venue passed enjoyably. One of the many things he liked about her was her ability to pull entire conversations out of nothing at all. He felt his earlier nerves beginning to ease as they chatted about everything from the music on the radio to Jen's plans for the annual leave she would be taking in six weeks time. Matt felt his mood drop pathetically as he considered what things would be like at work without her. Thankfully, he had little time to dwell on this as they turned into the entrance of the function centre hired for the event.

He surrendered his car to the valet and eyed the formally dressed people milling around the doors with apprehension. Neither Simon nor Duncan were anywhere in sight and he could see nobody else that he recognised. Praying that they were already inside he turned to Jen and offered her his arm. She looked amused. "Well aren't we the gentleman tonight?" she said, slipping her arm through his. "You heard what my dad said. I need to make sure that you're not going to disappear on me." They both laughed and began to make their way towards the door.

Once they were inside, it didn't take him long to spot Duncan, already waiting in the ridiculously long queue at the bar, with Claire at his side. Relieved, he started towards them pulling Jen along with him. On the way, they ran into Sergeant Karen Hatzic. Matt was disappointed when Jen gently extracted her arm from his. Promising that she would soon catch up, she struck up a conversation with her friend, leaving Matt to make his way over to Duncan alone.

There were many annoyed murmurings as Matt cut through the line to stand next to his friend, but they were quashed when Duncan turned around and glared at those standing nearest to him. His short temper was well known by other members of the police force and nobody wanted to be the next to receive a broken nose, courtesy of Duncan Freeman. The last guy had never looked the same again.

"So," said Duncan turning around like nothing had happened. "No luck digging up a date there, Matty? This is what…the third year you've come to this thing by yourself? People are going to think there's something wrong with you." He roared with laughter at his own joke but stopped short at a stern look from Claire. Matt chose to ignore the second half of that statement and responded only to the first. "Believe it or not, I did manage to find someone this year. She'll be over in a minute." Duncan looked surprised. "Anyone I know?" "Oh you'll be surprised," Matt said evasively. Fortunately, they had reached the front of the queue and the matter was dropped.

Matt, Claire and Duncan had just moved away from the bar, clutching drinks and Matt anxiously scanning the crowd, looking for Jen. "Dunny! Matt!" The shouts rang through the ballroom. Confused, the other guests looked around to find the source of the noise. Duncan caught Matt's eye and they both grinned. Only one person they knew would behave that inappropriately at a formal event.

Sure enough, Simon emerged from the throng moments later, his date in tow. Matt cast a detached eye over the young woman. As usual, what Simon's date seemed to lack in depth, she made up for in aesthetic appeal. He struggled to remember her name. Amanda? Alicia? He dimly recalled Simon mentioning it last week, but his mind had been so full of Jen, that he hadn't retained much else from that day.

Introductions began, and Matt discovered the young woman's name was Amy. He tried to pay attention while still looking around for Jen, who was nowhere to be seen.

"So where's this mystery woman of yours, Matt?" asked Simon some minutes later, having been brought up to speed on the situation by Duncan. "Not exactly the punctual type is she?" Matt ignored his colleagues as they snickered to one another and walked away from them slightly to keep looking for her. He felt a soft tap on his shoulder and finally she was there, smiling at him apologetically. "Sorry I took so long. Did you find the others?" He pointed over her shoulder where Simon and Duncan could be seen roaring with laughter with the two women sipping their drinks and talking quietly, ignoring the men beside them.

He offered Jen his arm again and they wandered back over to the little group. "I've found her," he announced, grinning.

How Matt wished he had a camera. Both Simon and Duncan's jaws dropped as they recognized her. She smiled sweetly at them both, accepted the glass of champagne Matt handed to her, and then turned to greet Amy and Claire.

"Well Matty it's about time," Duncan remarked, once he was sure that the women were occupied in conversation. "I was just saying to Si last week that if you didn't make a move on her soon, we'd have to force you." Matt attempted an expression of innocent puzzlement. "I don't know what you're talking about." Both Simon and Duncan scoffed in disbelief. "Honestly mate, how stupid do you think we are?" asked Simon, smirking. "You two are so transparent, it's painful."

Matt opened his mouth to retort but his curiosity got the better of him. "What do you mean, the _two _of us?" After all, he always thought that the attraction he felt was entirely one-sided. A faint glimmer of hope appeared at precisely the same moment identical, mischievous grins crossed the faces of his two friends.

Matt was forced to endure five highly unpleasant minutes of Simon and Duncan's taunts and inappropriate sexual innuendos before he got his answer. "Why do you reckon Jen turned down every ball offer that came her way?" Simon asked, in a tone that implied the answer should be glaringly obvious. "Because they all came from Paul?" Matt guessed, feeling jealous as hell at the mere thought of the man who was trying to steal her away from him. Simon shook his head in disbelief. "For your information, Sherlock, about five other people asked her to the ball, and she turned them all down because she only wanted to go with you. God knows why."

There was a pause as Matt let this information sink in. "How do you know?" he asked, not daring to believe what he had just heard. Simon looked insulted. "Mate, I know women," he said confidently. "Believe me, she's into you." Matt didn't know what to say. This was better than he ever could have imagined, and all of a sudden the idea of them being together became a far less distant possibility. Duncan broke into his thought process with another smirk. "So Matt, I guess the only question is, what are you going to do next?"

Matt was spared from answering as everyone was instructed to take their seats for the speeches. Initially, this was the part he had been dreading, but now he welcomed it as it would give him time to think. The woman of his dreams was within his reach, but for the life of him, he could not think of how to approach the subject of his feelings for her. What if Simon was wrong? What if she had turned down those other men for different reasons? How could he be certain that he wasn't setting himself up for heartbreak?

Superintendant Waverly stood up and proceeded to the lectern at the front of the room. Matt cast a sideways glance at Jen, who was following Waverly's progress with an air of polite disinterest. She turned her head, caught him staring at her, and to his great surprise, immediately turned away, blushing. His heart gave a leap.

Simon was mistaken about many things, but in this case, it seemed he was right on the money. He made a mental note. If everything turned out the way he hoped tonight, he would happily shout Simon's coffees for the rest of the year.

**I know I said that this would be the final chapter but I've just realized it's going to be about a mile long if I add in everything that I want to. I hope you won't be too angry with me if this stretches out for just one more chapter. Reviews would be wonderful. **


	4. The Ball Part II

**Ball Games-Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: If I own it, it's the first I've heard of it. You know all the rest.**

It took nearly three-quarters of an hour to get through all the speeches and finally, the moment arrived when Stanley was to receive his commendation. His team cheered, and led the tumultuous applause as he was presented with a gold medallion in a velvet case. They gave their boss a standing ovation as he returned to his chair and were pleased to see many of the other officers, including Superintendant Waverly, following suit. Matt could see that Stanley looked a little embarrassed as he sat back down beside his wife, Linda.

With that, the formalities were over and all around them; people were getting up and hurrying off to the restrooms or the tables at the back of the room where food had just been put out. A line was already forming at the bar. Matt, Duncan, Simon and Jen walked over to where their boss was sitting to congratulate him in person. He smiled at them as they approached. In turn, they offered him their congratulations and examined the medallion he had been given. "Thanks guys," he said to them. "It's a real honour to work with you all. The best team of detectives I've ever had." "Thanks Sarge," said Simon while the others nodded in agreement.

At that moment, Superintendant Waverly appeared to congratulate Stanley, the team stayed just long enough to greet her before heading back to their own table. Claire and Amy were waiting for them, looking bored. Without further ado, Simon whisked Amy off to the dance floor and Duncan and Claire wandered off in the direction of the food table, leaving Matt and Jen by themselves. He could feel the nerves starting to creep up on him again and didn't dare look at her, lest she might notice it in his face. Instead he turned his attention to what remained of his drink, hoping it would provide some sort of distraction.

Silence reigned. He couldn't think of a single thing to say that wasn't utterly stupid and so they sat, occasionally taking a sip from their drinks. He wished that Jen would say something, but she too, didn't seem to have any ideas for conversation. Things between them had never been this awkward before, not even when they had first met. Matt recalled the day she had arrived in Homicide; she had made an offhand comment about the crappy coffee, which had prompted an in-depth discussion about the best coffee shops in Melbourne. They had spent almost an hour comparing their favourite haunts, which had also included clubs, bars, and restaurants. As far as he could remember, he had never formed a rapport with anybody as quickly as he had with Jen.

He smiled at the memory. Simon had come in about halfway through the conversation and was surprised at the sight of them chatting away like old friends, rather than two people who had only just met. "What's so funny?" Jen asked curiously. He started a little. He had been so engrossed in his thoughts he had almost forgotten she was there.

"I was just thinking about the day we met," he confessed. "How we talked for ages about coffee and bars and how it wasn't nearly as awkward as it is right now." She laughed. "I know. Weird isn't it? You were the first friend I made when I came to Homicide. Duncan hated me at first." Matt shook his head. "He didn't hate you, he thought he was being replaced. Besides, you guys got over that." She smiled. "Yeah, we did. But after all this time Matt, you're still my number one guy." She carefully avoided his gaze as she said that, and he could tell without looking that she was blushing. "I mean, seeing as I don't have a social life or anything," she went on in a rush. "I get it." Matt said. "And I suppose that you're the woman in my life for the moment." If she only knew how true that statement actually was.

"It's kind of sad, isn't it?" she remarked. "Do you think we're going to be the kind of people who are just married to their work?" Matt considered this for a minute. "I hope not," he said eventually. He cast around for a change of topic but came up empty. A few more wordless minutes passed. This time, he was the one to break the silence. "Do you want to dance?" he asked. She beamed at him. "Love to."

He offered her his arm once more and the two of them walked across the room where a few couples, including Simon and Amy, were dancing. The band struck up a fast song and finally, he had an excuse to take her in his arms, which he had been wanting to do all night.

He whirled her around the floor in time with the music and on the final beat of the song dipped her back dramatically, grinning at the surprise on her face. A smattering of applause alerted him to the fact they had an audience. He grinned at them and gently pulled her back up and twirled her around. "Wow," she said breathlessly. "Where'd you learn to dance like that?" He pulled her in closer as a new song started, this one much slower. She did not protest, in fact she rested her head on his shoulder as they shuffled from foot to foot.

"My mum taught me," he said softly, ignoring the pang that always occurred when he thought or spoke of her. "When I was about 11 there was this girl I had a crush on, Penny Morton, and I somehow managed to work up the nerve to ask her to the school dance. It was only after she'd said yes that I realized that I didn't know how to dance. I worried about it all day and when I got home I told my mum all about it. She took me into the living room, put on some music and spent nearly three hours teaching me every dance she knew. I guess I've never forgotten it." She raised her head from his shoulder and looked straight into his eyes. "She taught you well. Thanks for sharing that with me. I know it upsets you when you talk about her." He just nodded. She settled her head on his shoulder again and he pulled her even closer.

"This is nice," he said presently as the song continued. "Spending time together, just you and me. No murders, no violence. We should do this more often." She looked up at him, eyes sparkling playfully. "If I didn't know better Detective Ryan," she said. "I'd say you were trying to seduce me."

"That depends," he replied. "Is it working?" He could see she was surprised by his response, she was searching his features, to figure out whether or not he was joking, but he made sure that his face gave away nothing. "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked uncertainly, pulling away from him a bit. He sighed. "Can we go somewhere a little more private? I don't want to discuss this here." He was all too aware of Simon eyeing his every move from somewhere off to the right and he had a sneaking suspicion Duncan was watching them too. She nodded and allowed him to guide her off the dance floor.

He led her through a side door onto a small terrace that was mostly used by people wanting to have a quick smoke after dinner or in between dances. Fortunately, nobody was out there at the moment and the terrace was bathed in pale moonlight. Had he not been about to put his heart on the line, he may have cared to appreciate the romantic setting.

She turned to him. "All right Matt, spill. Is this the reason you asked me to come with you tonight? Is this all some elaborate charade to try and get me to sleep with you?" She was angry, and even worse then that, he could see the hurt in her eyes and it hurt him too, knowing that he had caused it. "I can't believe you could do this to me Matt" she went on. "Is this honestly the kind of woman you think I am? I thought you knew me better then that."

"I do," he said. "I do know you better then that. I know plenty of things about you. I know you take three sugars in your coffee, but only one in your tea. I know your favourite colour is purple. I know you hate clothes shopping, but you hate shoe shopping even more. I know your favourite pizza topping is supreme, even though you pick off all the olives. Should I go on?" She just stared at him, which he took as permission to continue. "I know that when we're working a case, you never sleep until we catch the killer. I know you get migraines from the stress of this job, but you never complain about them. I know that you are the smartest, most beautiful woman I've ever met. And I know that I'm in love with you."

There. He'd said it. After all the planning for this night, it had all just spilled out without him being able to stop it. "I'm sorry," he said, meaning it. "I know that it's unethical and that things between us will never be the same, but I do Jen, I love you." He focused on her face, which was blank with shock. "I'll understand if you never want to speak to me again, but you had to know. That way you can tell me flat out that you don't feel the same way, and I can finally stop hoping that there might be a chance for us."

It could have been five seconds, or two hours that passed as he watched her, waiting for her to say something. She seemed to be frozen in place, unable to speak.

Then all of a sudden she ran. Before Matt knew what was happening, she had flung her arms around him, and was kissing him like he'd never been kissed before. He kissed her back with all the passion he could muster and was disappointed when she broke away from him, much too soon for his liking. But she quickly redeemed herself when she smiled that dazzling smile and then kissed him again.

**Epilogue**

It had been two years since Matt had finally professed his feelings for his one and only love on the terrace at the very same function centre where they now stood. Another year, and another Police Ball.

Stanley had agreed to keep them both in Homicide, provided that they kept their relationship out of the office, a condition to which they had both readily agreed. Simon and Duncan were so relieved that their two co-workers had finally gotten together they didn't even tease them. Or at least, not anymore.

Matt glanced around the ballroom. Everything looked exactly the same. Even his girlfriend looked as beautiful tonight as she had done two years ago. He bent his head down and whispered in her ear. "Meet me on our terrace." She smiled at him, kissed him, and walked away under the guise of getting more drinks.

Out of the corner of his eye, Matt saw her slip through the side door. He too excused himself, and as he turned away he thought he saw Duncan giving him a conspiratorial wink. A second look informed him that Duncan was deep in conversation with Simon, apparently not even aware that Matt was leaving.

He set off for the side door, being careful not to walk too quickly, in case it should arouse suspicion, all the while with his hand clenched around the diamond ring in his pocket.

**I hope I didn't give you cavities with all that fluff. Some people and situations in this fic may be a little OOC but I had the best time writing this chapter. So finally, we have reached the end of "Ball Games." I still can't believe that a one-shot grew into a four-chapter story. Thank you for reading and special thanks to langfieldl and AmyDSC who reviewed. You guys made my day. **


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